The White Rose

Chapter 11 - Fiery hair, violent tornadoes and active volcanoes.

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength" - Marcus Aurelius.

(Leila's point of view)

Ilifted my heavy eyelids to see Christian standing in the doorway. His stare was intense and I couldn't tell if he was himself.

"Christian," Aria hissed. "You aren't dead. What happened to you?"

"It seems that I deceived you Aria. You didn't think you could keep what I am away from me forever did you?"

"Kill him," she said to the spiders that encircled Christian, ready to pounce.

I couldn't do anything but watch so I bit my lip and hoped for the best.

Christian took a deep breath and started repeating my name, holding the cross tightly in his hand. The spiders began writhing in agony as he raised his arms. He was going to turn them into dust.

Ivy ran in and untied me. I fell to the floor, still bleeding, but I didn't have time to rest. Aria ran at me, the blade pointed at my heart. I ran out of the way and lit my hands. She sighed and started to bend the air around us, shooting at us like a large, powerful gust of wind. I shot fire from my hands and the elements clashed. The flames roared and the wind howled. It was like a tornado and lava from a volcano merging together.

My heart was pounding and my wings were beating viciously. I could tell I was losing. Sweat was starting to form on my brow and my hands were shaking. Then, we both stopped. It was completely silent.

I looked down at my hands and tried to do something. Anything. It didn't work. Aria was powerless too. Then I realised. It was Christian.

I looked to him, nothing but ash at his feet, and knew, without a shred of doubt, that he wasn't himself.

"Stop it. Just let him come back."

"Why would I want to do that? What's wrong with a good old fashioned fist fight? Become the animal I know you can be. Or are you afraid? I sensed that you didn't want to touch me when we were in the park. You had a chance to break my neck but you didn't take it. And I seem to remember you calling me the coward."

I walked over to him and put my hands on his face, looking far into his eyes for Christian. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw him. Then the moment passed and he was a monster again.

"You are a coward. You're not even half the man that Christian is. You haven't killed me yet, and you told me you would when I found out who you were."

"Good point. Well, here's my chance."

I stepped back and exhaled slowly.  I could feel a tingling sensation in my skin. It was starting. I tried to light my hands. Nothing happened. I tried to bend the water in the air. Nothing happened.

I took another deep breath as the skin on the back of my hand started to peel. Then I thought of Christian. I thought of our kiss and the feeling of his hair against my face as my arms were wrapped around his torso. That's when my skin stopped peeling. That's when I saw the monster drop to the ground. That's when I unlocked his pain.

"There's just one thing you forgot to put into the equation. That's how much I care about him. How far I would go to save him and how powerful the thought of him inside my head is. You can't stop me from thinking."

"There's the girl who could tear civilisations apart," he said, his words forced.

I wasn't going to kill him; I just wanted him to go so that Christian could come back.

"Leila! It's me!" he shouted after a minute.

I ran over and helped him to his feet. I was about to lean in and kiss him when everything came flooding back into my mind. He’d never want to kiss me again.